Timepiece

ABSTRACT

A timepiece, for example a wristwatch, having indicating means driven by a movement for indicating the hours and minutes and also the date, characterized in that designation of the twelve months of the year are disposed on an annular surface surrounding the said indicating means. Associated with said annular surface is a predetermined reading position or an index mark or a window, on or in which only one of the 12 month designations can be read at a time. The annular surface and/or the index mark or window, respectively, is adapted to be turned manually about the axis of the annular surface.

United States Fatent 1 1 1 1 3,729,922 Wein [451 May 1, 1973 TIMEPIECE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventor: Irving Wein, Chicago, 884,544 8/1943 France ..58/58 73 A l t sslgnee fi on watch Company Chicago Primary Examiner-George H. Miller, Jr.

' Attorney-Wallenstein, Spangenberg, Hattis & Stram- [22] Filed: Sept. 13, 1971 el p [21] Appl. No.: 179,847 [57] ABSTRACT A timepiece, for example a wristwatch, having indicat- [30] Fore'gn Apphcatlon Prim-"y Data ing means driven by a movement for indicating the July 2, 1971 Switzerland ..9730/71 hours and minutes and also the date characterized in that designation of the twelve months of the year are [52] U.S. Cl ..58/5, 58/58 disposed on an annular surface surrounding the Said 51 Int. Cl ..G04b 19/24 indicating means- Asmiated with Said annular surface 58 Field of Search ..58/4 5 58 91 is a predetermined reading Position or an index mark or a window, on or in which only one of the 12 month [56] References Cited designations can be read at a time. The annular surface and/or the index mark or window, respectively, is UNITED STATES PATENTS adapted to be turned manually about the axis of the annular surface. 3,431,722 3/1969 Haas ..58/91 X 3,548,588 12/1970 Piquerez ..58/91 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures TIMEPIECE The present invention relates to a timepiece, a wristwatch in particular, having indicating means driven by a movement for indicating the hours, minutes and date.

Timepieces are known which do not only indicate the time, but also include, in addition, means driven by the movement for indicating the date and, in some instances, the day of the week. By additional reduction gearing it is also possible to automatically indicate the month. However, timepieces of this kind are very complicated mechanically, and therefore expensive. Wristwatches with automatic indication of the month cannot be built as small and particularly as flat as'would be desirable. In addition, the indication of the month in many known Wristwatches is not very distinct and therefore relatively difficult to read.

The present inventionrelates to a timepiece, especially a wristwatch, having indicating means driven by a movement for indicating the hours and minutes and also the date, and the invention provides simple, easily readable, manually adjustable means in a timepiece of this kind for showing the month, which means can be so arranged as to require very little space. The timepiece according to the invention is characterized .in that designations of the twelve months of the year are disposed on an annular surface surrounding the said indicating means; that there is associated with said annular surface a predetermined reading position or an index mark or a window, on or in which one at atime of the twelve month designations can be read; and that the annular surface and/or the index mark or window, respectively, is adapted to be turned manually about the axis of the annular surface The said indicating means for the hours and minutes may comprise, in known fashion,.a dial and rotating hands, and in this case the said annular surface may preferably be coaxial with the axis of rotation of the hands.

The annular surface may be arranged inside or outside a timepiece crystal. It may be disposed on a turning ring cooperating with a stationary index mark or with a stationary reading window. Such a ring, arranged outside a timepiece casing, may be directly manually rotatable. For rotating a ring arranged inside the casing a crown connected to a pinion engaging the ring, may for example be provided.

The annular surface may also be stationary on a ring or on a dial or on an external casing portion, and may cooperate with a turning index mark or a turning reading window, the latter being provided on or in a manually rotatable ring.

Preferred embodiments of the timepiece according to the invention will now be described with reference to the drawing. In the drawing:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic view of a covering ring which has a reading window and which is to be secured in a timepiece crystal;

FIG. 2 is a view of a manually rotatable ring which is provided with month designations and which is to be arranged below the covering ring;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a watch with the rings according to FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an axial section through the watch accord ing to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view of a watch having monthdesignations disposed outside the watch crystal;

FIG. 6 is an axial section through the watch accord ing to FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a similar axial section as FIG. 6, but of a modification.

According to FIGS. 1 to 4 an opaque covering ring 12 is rigidly secured, for example by clamping or by means of an adhesive, in a watch crystal 11 of a watch shown diagrammatically. The covering ring, which may carry hour marks as shown, is provided at the 12 oclock" position with a cutout or interruption 13 forming a reading window.

The watch crystal 1] is associated in usual manner with a watch casing 14 in which a movement 15, shown diagrammatically, is arranged for driving hands 16 and 17. The movement also drives date rings of which portions are visible in a'window 18 of a dial 19 for indicating the date and the day of the week.

Below the covering ring 12 and coaxially therewith and with the axis of rotation of the hands 16, 17 there is disposed a rotatable ring 20. Designations of the 12 months of the year are provided on the annular surface of the turning ring 20 as shown in FIG. 2. One at the time of these month designations is visible and readable in the window 13 of the covering ring 12. The visible month is set manually by rotating the ring 20. For this purpose, teeth on the underside of the ring 20 are in engagement with a pinion 21 which is connected to a crown 22.

It will be apparent that it would also be possible to make the annular surface carrying the month designations stationary, for example on the dial, and instead to arrange for the covering ring including the reading window to be rotatable so that the window can be set to the correct month. The reading window might also be replaced by a turning index mark on a rotatable member corresponding to the covering ring. If the month designations are turning, the covering ring could be omitted andthe set, correct month could simply be read at a predetermined reading position, for example at the l 2 o'clock" position, or at a separate, stationary index mark (now shown).

FIGS. 3 and 4 also show a bezel or ring 23 which is mounted on the outside of the casing 14, surrounding the crystal 1 I, so as to be manually rotatable (for example by means of a knurled edge). This ring 23 may, in known fashion, carry at least one additional scale (not shown), for example for the detennination of local times at various places on the earth, of elapsed time (e.g. in a diver watch) a.s.o.

In a further modification, omitting the rings 12 and 20 and the driving elements 21, 22, the month designations could simply be provided on such an external turning bezel or ring, and the set, correct month could again be read at a predetermined reading position or at a stationary index mark.

Manually settable or adjustable annular elements for indicating the month can also be arranged outside the watch case, and directly accessible, in various other ways, for example as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

According to FIGS. 5 and 6 designations of the 12 months of the year are provided stationary on an annular surface 30 of a watch casing 14'. The annular surface surrounds the watch crystal and is coaxial with the latter and with the axis of rotation of the hands 16, 17. A ring 31, mounted on the'casing l4 and manually rotatable abut the axis of rotation of the hands, covers the annular surface 30, but has an opening forming a reading window through which one of the month designations on the annular surface 30 is visible (see FIG. 5). At the same time a window 18 in the dial 19 permitsviewin'g of a portion of a date ring driven by the movement 15, such portion indicating the correct date.

If desired, the ring 31 may carry, in known manner, further indications and designations (not shown), in a similar way as ring 23 in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In such a case, obviously, the month setting will be changed if the ring 31 is turned in using the further indications.

This can be avoided with an arrangement according to FIG. 7. In this arrangement the annular surface 30' carrying the month designations, instead of being stationary, is disposed on a turning bezel or ring 32. This ring 32 is rotatably mounted on the casing 14", and a further, coaxial ring 31 is in turn rotatably mounted on the ring 32. The ring 31 again has a reading window for reading on at a time of the month designations. It will be appreciated that for setting the month the rings 31' and 32 are rotated relatively to one another. It is also possible, however, to turn the rings 31' and 32 together on the casing 14" for using additional scales on the ring 31' without changing the month indication in the reading window of ring 31 What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece having indicating means driven by an encased movement for indicating the hours and minutes and also the date, characterized in that designations of the 12 months of the year are disposed on an annular surface surrounding the said indicating means; said annular surface being located externally of the encased movement of the timepiece and having associated therewith a predetermined reading position or an index mark or a window, on or in which one at a time of the 12 month designations can be read; and that the annular surface and/or the index mark or window, respectively; is adapted to be turned manually about the axis of the annular surface.

2. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the said annular surface is stationary, and that a turning covering ring is arranged above the annular surface, saidcovering ring having a cut-out which forms a reading window.

3. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the said annular surface is disposed outside a casing of the timepiece on a ring which is rotatably mounted on the casing and which is directly manually accessible.

4. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that an index mark or a window for reading the month designations is disposed on or in a ring which is arranged outside a casing of the timepiece, and is rotatably mounted on this casing and is directly manually accessible.

5. A timepiece according to claim 1', characterized in that the said annular surface is stationary.

6. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the said annular surface is disposed on a manually rotatable ring.

7. A timepiece according to claim 2 characterized in that a stationary covering ring is arranged above the manually rotatable ring, said covering ring having a cut-out which forms a reading window.

8. A timepiece according to claim 2, characterized in that the ring is manually rotatable by means of a crown which is connected to a wheel engaging the undersurface of the ring.

9. A timepiece according to claim 6, characterized in that the said annular surface is disposed on a second turning ring which is coaxial with the first ring and is also arranged outside the casing, the two rings being rotatable both relatively to one another and together. 

1. A timepiece having indicating means driven by an encased movement for indicating the hours and minutes and also the date, characterized in that designations of the 12 months of the year are disposed on an annular surface surrounding the said indicating means; said annular surface being located externally of the encased movement of the timepiece and having associated therewith a predetermined reading position or an index mark or a window, on or in which one at a time of the 12 month designations can be read; and that the annular surface and/or the index mark or window, respectively, is adapted to be turned manually about the axis of the annular surface.
 2. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the said annular surface is stationary, and that a turning covering ring is arranged above the annular surface, said covering ring having a cut-out which forms a reading window.
 3. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the said annular surface is disposed outside a casing of the timepiece on a ring which is rotatably mounted on the casing and which is directly manually accessible.
 4. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that an index mark or a window for reading the month designations is disposed on or in a ring which is arranged outside a casing of the timepiece, and is rotatably mounted on this casing and is directly manually accessible.
 5. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the said annular surface is stationary.
 6. A timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the said annular surface is disposed on a manually rotatable ring.
 7. A timepiece according to claim 2 characterized in that a stationary covering ring is arranged above the manually rotatable ring, said covering ring having a cut-out which forms a reading window.
 8. A timepiece according to claim 2, characterized in that the ring is manually rotatable by means of a crown which is connected to a wheel engaging the undersurface of the ring.
 9. A timepiece according to claim 6, characterized in that the said annular surface is disposed on a second turning ring which is coaxial with the first ring and is also arranged outside the casing, the two rings being rotatable both relatively to one another and together. 